Key West Shannon, a hotel which was to become home to 80 asylum seekers is on fire. Here are screenshots from a far right youtubers video about the hotel where numerous people advocate arson and racial violence.

UPDATE:

On November 7, 2018, in the Dáil.

Fianna Fáil TD Eugene Murphy said:

“Over the weekend in the village of Rooskey, which is eight miles from my place on the County Leitrim side, we were told that a refugee centre was moving to the old Shannon Key West Hotel. No one in the community has been informed.

“A meeting has been organised by some of the people involved with community groups only. They have picked special people to go into it. As a local Deputy, I was not even asked. I imagine Deputy Martin Kenny, as the Deputy on the Leitrim side, was not asked.

“Why is the Government doing this under a secret type of cover? Why is the Government not coming to the communities? By the way, the communities will take on this challenge and support those people. The people who are bringing this in are saying we are going to have extra teachers in the school and extra support for the doctors, but these things are not happening.

“They did not happen in Ballaghaderreen either. Communities are prepared to support these people but I appeal to the Government to give back-up to communities to help and assist them.”

59 thoughts on “‘Final Preparations Were Being Made For Their Arrival’”

ironic that they share these sentiments with the same loyalist ‘security personnel’ who perform the evictions in that neck of the woods. see, if they sat around and discussed things they’d see they have more in common that they think..

The fact that the minister or his Department can’t spell “Rooskey” is probably a good clue to the hostility to the plans to have 80 asylum seekers plonked in a village with a population of 600 in a very rural location which is a minimum of 2 hours from Dublin (and probably double that by public transport, if available) where asylum admin services, like interviews, hearings and court challenges are dealt with.

The whole “let’s look after our own first” crew throw out the same old same old rhetoric “they’ll get houses, medical cards, social welfare etc” which is bullsh-eye-tea. So if the Shannon Key West Hotel was made available to Irish homeless people, how many do you think would sign up to live in Rooskey (up the main street down the same street)? I felt sorry for the Syrians to be honest, flee Syria then have to flee Ireland.

You will never understand
How it feels to live your life
With no meaning or control
And with nowhere left to go.
You are amazed that they exist
And they burn so bright,
Whilst you can only wonder why….
You’ll never live like Roscommon people
You’ll never do what Roscommon people do

Firstly I am NOT justifying this sort of behaviour but I do see both sides.

On one hand is a small rural community, who wouldn’t be the most liberal in the first place, having a group of foreigners (their words) dumped on them, probably without the support services or even translators to rely on.

Then you have these poor people who are probably already traumatised with nowhere to go being subjected to what appears to be out and out racism. While there may be some social issues, they just want to be left alone to live as best they can and nobody should have a problem with that.

The real fault lies with those who are making these decisions because you can be certain they are not living anywhere near that hotel or community, Both the refugees and the locals are victims of this situation because neither appeared to have any say in it.

If they had no say in the decision then what else would they be? Does the fact that a few thugs set fire to the hotel render all criticism of the decision somehow invalid to you? When they arrived, what were these people supposed to do all day, sit in a hotel room eh?

But no, it is easier just to label people racist because then you don’t have to think about it. Whether they are from is irrelevant. If the amenities were not in place then it was not fair on the locals and definitely not fair on the refugees.

it is a much more appropriate place to provide housing for asylum seekers at this current time, especially as we want to make them feel as unwelcome as possible.

You forgot the last bit.

Ireland’s record on the treatment of asylum seekers is borderline criminal so there is no reason to assume refugees will be treated any differently. Sorry if that does not fit you anti cuclhie racist sloganeering but it is pretty much the truth. .

A chap I went to school with many moons ago now lives in Keadew in Roscommon. We are friends on FB and recently I saw he ‘liked’ a page which was against turning this hotel into a direct provision centre. The comments/posts on this page were mind boggling. Most feared sexual assault, rape and kiddie fiddling were part of the deal with any asylum seeker. Many others feared being robbed.
When I heard the place was set on fire this morning my heart sank. Morons

I’m no stranger to Roscommon – to be fair it was a GAA match(s) that I visited. It’s a very bleak county. Perhaps it’s got better whatwith, Moone Boy – Chris O’Dowd etc. It’s interesting that the Irish Government – fulfilling their EU duties to “deal” with refugees – they end up in Roscommon – oh, look at the welcoming.

An attack like this is unacceptable, wrong, and to be condemned. Disgusting.
It is also wrong that the Government did not first consult and then tell local people of the decision when it was made. FOI the date of the decision of this and other centres planned. That the Government did this is no surprised. It’s part of the same mentality that has one of their own cabinet being appointed without competition on the basis of them “being uniquely qualified for the job”.

Was Rooskey “uniquely qualified for the job” too?

The Gardai need to investigate and prosecute. The courts need to convict the idiots and racists involved.

I grew up in Kerry , in around 2000, the government decided to house 12 asylum seekers in Glenbeigh , there was a lot of concern in Killorglin , from the ‘good’ people of the town , and then this happened https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerryman/news/thugs-smash-window-in-anti-refugee-outrage-27374350.html
A lot of people seemed to be embarrassed by the violence. It looked really bad for our area, people in dublin were reading about us. Things seemed to calm down then, I was told by a mate who was in the pub the night they arrived, a fella ran into the pub shouting,
‘ They have arrived , the bus just pulled up’. Someone in the bar shouted ‘Are they BLACK?’ , the first guy replied ‘ As the ace of spades’ , the place exploded into laughter, I suspect more from the turn of phrase rather than the racism, but yes depressing reaction.

That was the last I heard of it, I went to college. but I did ask a few yrs later how it all they panned out, I was told they were great ‘fine people’, it was a lot of fuss about nothing, people were very curious about them, loved talking to them, they were able to find out about the places they came from and loved introducing them to ‘Irish Culture’ the non racists parts , even went so far as to hassle the government to allow them to engage in paid work … there was much more positive stuff but I wont bore you…